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Zhenya Strigalev is a jazz saxophonist with 15 years of professional experience playing from Jam sessions in grungy holes of St Petersburg to Kremlin in Moscow and the Purcell Room in London. To date, he has recorded 4 albums on German and UK labels. At 17 Zhenya was given “The Best Saxophonist” award in a well known St.Petersburg competition and has since participated in many leading European, Russian, and UK Festivals, and various gigs in Russia, Finland, Check Republic, Austria, Poland, France and the UK. Four years ago, in recognition of his outstanding musical talent, he was granted a full scholarship by the Royal Academy of Music, in London. While being there he has been studying and playing with well known jazz musicians like Lee Konitz, Peter King, Dave Holland, Jeff Tain Watts, Mark Turner, Jeff Ballard, Jean Toussaint…. Having recently graduated from the Royal Academy, Strigalev is currently London’s sole Russian jazz musician and steadily gaining a reputation as one of the most exciting alto saxophonists in town. Zhenya continues to develop his career as an international artist through musical collaborations with many great artists which include Nick Ramm (Fire Collective), Dave Whitford,Gene Calderazzo (Partisans),Mike Janish, Seb Rochford (Acoustic Ladyland), John Parichelli,Troy Miller, Ashley Slater, Tom Cawley, Mike Mondesir to name a few. Zhenya has played in most major London jazz venues including 606 Club, Pizza Express on Dean Street and Pizza on the Park, Vortex, Purcell Room, the Royal Festival Hall Foyer, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Ronnie Scotts and etc. Last year (2005) Zhenya participated together with Ashley Slater, Mark Mondesir, and John Parichelli in the Mike Figgis Workshop gig at the London Jazz Festival. For this year’s Festival he collaborated with Iranian/American singer Sussan Deyhim (Bill Laswell, Ornette Coleman, Talvin Singh…), drummer Steve Ferrone (Chaka Khan, Jaco Pastorious, The Bee Gees, George Benson, Eric Clapton, Duran Duran, Whitney Houston, Pat Metheny, Marcus Miller, Paul Simon, Tom Petty…), and pianist/producer/composer Sir Gant (Anita Baker, Cassandra Wilson, Madonna, The Temptations….) at Baltic in SE1. Last October(2006) Zhenya curated and organized the participation of three well-known London groups (Seb Rochford’s “Polar Bear”, Leafcutter John, and Zhenya Strigalev’s “Cuts Too”) in the “Territory” Festival in Moscow. In addition, Zhenya runs regular weekly gigs consisting of original music every Thursday night at Charlie Wright’s International Bar (45 Pitfield St, Hoxton, N1), where a constant stream of London’s most creative jazz musicians play. Its a favourite hanging place for many London musicians and is the only venue with free entrance and live music from 10pm till 3:30am with 2 bands. You can meet him nearly every week there. Zhenya Strigalev’s new album “off the cut”- available on request- is produced by new London label Baltic Music and is marketed and distributed in the UK and Ireland by New Note Distribution.